The difference in healthy life expectancy between those living in the least and most deprived areas of the UK is 19 years. These widespread and consistent health inequalities are often determined by stark social and economic inequality. Only about 10% of what makes us healthy is related to access to health care services. Social determinants—such as housing, education, friends and communities, family, employment and our surroundings—are increasingly recognised as the most important drivers of health outcomes and life expectancy.
From helping a person find suitable work, to improving a family’s housing conditions, to creating opportunities for a person to make social connections, charities address social inequalities—and therefore address health inequalities too. So it’s clear that non-health charities have a role to play in improving health.
NPC are working with The Institute of Health Equity (IHE) and The Health Foundation to help charities that would not define themselves as health charities, to promote and evidence the impact of their work on health outcomes.
